Uber, Ola Suffer a Blow as Supreme Court Revives Ban on Bike Taxis in Delhi

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the High Court order by which it had essentially allowed bike-taxi aggregators Rapido and Uber to operate in the national capital by asking the Delhi government not to take any coercive action against them till a new policy was formulated.

A vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal granted liberty to the two aggregators to request urgent hearing of their plea by the Delhi HC.

The bench, which stayed the May 26 order of the High Court, also recorded the Delhi government counsel’s submission the final policy will be notified before July-end.

The top court was hearing two separate petitions by the AAP government challenging the May 26 order of the High Court asking it not to take any coercive action against the bike-taxi aggregators until the final policy was notified.

The top court had in the last week sought a response from the Central government on both the pleas of Delhi government. 

Back in May, the Delhi government approved Motor Vehicle Aggregator Scheme 2023 to regulate cab aggregators and delivery service providers in the national capital. Some of the key highlights of the policy are mandatory panic buttons in taxis, integration with emergency number ‘112’, and phase-wise transition to EVs.

The Motor Vehicle Aggregator Scheme 2023 will be applicable to any individual or entity that operates, on-boards or manages a fleet of motor vehicles through digital or electronic means or any other means to ferry passengers or connect a driver offering to deliver or pick up a product, courier, package or parcel with a seller, e-commerce entity or consignor.